BEST Western International’s (BWI) Asia & the Middle East head office is looking to grow direct bookings through the hotel chain’s brand website and cut back on commissions paid to OTAs, which currently account for 35-40 per cent of its overall business.
To achieve this, employees working at various hotels have undergone training and education on how to implement rate parity, said the group’s director of marketing & communications, Kalaya Sukprasertchai.
BMI revenue & distribution manager-Asia & the Middle East, Paul Suvodip, noted: “If rates are the same, consumers will tend to book on the brand website.”
Despite the high growth potential for OTAs in the short term, he pointed out that it was difficult to predict what the industry would be like in the medium to long term.
“Five years ago, we never even thought of OTAs. It is important to keep the market mix, which includes direct hotel bookings as well as OTAs,” Suvodip said.
To drive direct bookings, BWI will ramp up online marketing efforts and promotions to boost awareness of its brand website, as well as tap social media channels and search engine optimisation strategies to reach out to consumers.
